Book of the Later Han Dynasty - Biography of Solu Fang: The eunuch was punished and dared not speak out, fearing the world's reaction. He believed it was better to rely on past actions than to seek new merits. In a sense, he was willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of the eunuch's life.
Sean finds wisdom in this sentiment.
People of high moral character can be difficult to manage. Sean must always be wary of those who, in their fervor for justice, may betray him at any moment. In contrast, the despicable—those who lack integrity and have no moral compass—are often more reliable. Because they are driven by fear of poverty and death, these individuals are typically quite cunning.
While virtuous individuals may sometimes lack intelligence, true villains are never fools; the inept ones have already been caught. The ones who evade capture are astute and capable.
As long as Sean wields the power to deliver consequences, these unscrupulous individuals will be loyal, akin to highly trained hunting dogs, ready to execute any task he assigns. Their lack of ethics means they can be counted on to achieve results far more consistently than those with high moral standards. Moreover, they can be discarded without any moral dilemmas.
Thor and Lamb listened in silence to Sean's dual approach, while Norris appeared detached, as if the discussion didn't concern him.
"So, how do you plan to acquire this company?" Saul asked, clearing his throat.
"I'm a legitimate businessman!" Sean replied earnestly, tapping his fingers together. "Of course, we'll use standard business practices—everything must be legal and reasonable. That's why you're here." He gestured to both Saul and Lamb.
"If I don't show up, you two can negotiate. If we simply throw money at him, wouldn't that just inflate the price of such a mediocre company?" Sean said, raising an eyebrow.
Norris shot Sean a skeptical glance. "Won't your conscience hurt saying that?"
So far, Sean had only mentioned purchasing the company without any actual payment or contract signed. Norris was convinced that Sean had ulterior motives.
"It's up to you," Norris said reluctantly. "But with this money, you could start a new company. However..." Lamb hesitated, considering Sean's 'hard' power, which made the situation less problematic.
In truth, the police and laws were ineffective against those unscrupulous characters; individuals like Sean were far more effective.
With Sean's financial backing, the acquisition of Saul and Lamb proceeded smoothly.
When they approached Bowers Pine about the acquisition, he initially thought they were joking. After all, starting a brokerage company merely required registration, a quick process. He had doubts about the company's worth and quoted an outrageous price.
However, Saul began negotiating assertively while Lamb presented various professional evaluations. Bowers soon realized these two were serious about purchasing his company.
Though he couldn't fathom why they were interested in his struggling business, the prospect of selling to such eager buyers was too good to pass up.
As for whether the company could pose a threat to Norris after the sale, Bowers had no concerns; he kept all the evidence securely locked away, ensuring he could control the situation.
After some back-and-forth negotiations, Bowers eventually agreed to a price of $188,000 when Saul and Lamb claimed they couldn't reach a consensus.
On the day of the contract signing, both parties brought their lawyers, and Sean arranged for a notary to witness the transaction. They purchased the company for $288,000 in cash, primarily valuing the artist contracts which still had revenue potential.
Sean preferred cash to ensure a significant impact when the deal was finalized; it looked more impressive for the photographs.
After signing, Sean reassured the three brokers that everything would remain unchanged, and they would continue to be valued in their roles.
Bowers Pine felt somewhat regretful; he had relied on these brokers for years, but he accepted that training new staff would be manageable, especially for $288,000.
Bowers left happily with the cash, unaware that he was being followed by operatives from the X Security Company.
With the brokerage firm acquired, Sean turned his attention to Norris Films.
The company was bought for $288,000, with Sean injecting an additional $112,000, bringing its theoretical market value to $400,000.
He then commissioned PricewaterhouseCoopers to implement structural adjustments and optimize the business, which swiftly increased the valuation to $1.2 million.
Don't question how adjustments were possible in a company with only three brokers; that's what professionalism is about! This justifies the $80,000 commission paid to Puhua.
Once the deal was complete, the brokerage and Norris Films merged, forming a new entity named Shawn Films, with a market valuation of $3.2 million.
The increase in value stemmed from the synergistic advantages of merging a brokerage with a film company, a strategy well-known in the stock market.
Post-merger, Sean held 98% of the shares, while Norris Dennis retained a mere 2%.
In a surprising move, Sean generously offered Norris those 2% of the shares, although he had no intention of keeping him involved in any meaningful way.
After all, there was no need for Norris to receive any real compensation.
When Norris signed the contract, he felt a sense of numbness wash over him. "What happened to my company, worth $800,000?" he wondered. "I'm left with just 2%?"
"$40,000!" he muttered to himself in disbelief.
Sean responded nonchalantly, "You've gotten a good deal, understand?"
Norris couldn't comprehend this; he only knew that this ruthless capitalist was exploiting him through shrewd tactics!
From the acquisition of the brokerage firm to the completion of the merger and renaming of the film company, everything transpired within a single day. Once settled, Sean gathered Norris and the rest of his team and they flew back to Newark overnight.
Norris remained confused. How could they just let that rascal Bowers Pine leave with so much cash? Wasn't the point to eliminate that trouble?
Norris felt an unsettling sense of resentment, believing that he had been far kinder than Bowers Pyne and questioning whether the situation should have ended differently.
As Sean settled into his new role, he knew he had played the game well. The acquisition and merger had positioned him effectively in the industry, leveraging both cunning and strategy to maximize his gains.
With the newly formed Shawn Films, he was ready to embark on the next phase of his ambitions, fully aware that in the world of business, it was often the most unscrupulous players who emerged victorious.